Short answer: the best “performance chip” is one that changes how your engine runs, is written for your exact engine, and shows a before-and-after dyno result. Most products sold as chips do none of that. Below are the four kinds of device you will find, what each one really changes, and who each one suits.
The four kinds of “performance chip”
| What it changes | More power at full throttle | Back to stock | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBD “chip” / resistor box | Nothing, or one sensor signal | No | Unplug |
| Throttle controller | How the gas pedal is reported | No | Unplug |
| Handheld flash tuner | Rewrites the engine computer’s software | Yes — largest gains | Flash the stock file back |
| Plug-in tuner (Monte) | Fuel delivery and ignition timing (and boost on turbo engines) for your exact engine | Yes — moderate, dyno-tested | Unplug |
OBD “chips” and resistor boxes. Cheap impulse buys that promise outrageous gains. Inside is usually a resistor or an LED. They don’t change how the engine runs, and a modern engine computer corrects for a faked sensor within minutes. We explain why in Do performance chips actually work?
Throttle controllers. They make the pedal feel more eager, which is all they claim. Peak power stays the same. See Throttle controller vs. tuner.
Handheld flash tuners. A programmer that plugs into the OBD-II port, saves the stock software and writes a new calibration into the engine computer. Well-known lines include the SCT X4, Superchips Flashcal and Flashpaq F5, DiabloSport inTune, Edge and Bully Dog for domestic trucks and muscle cars, and the COBB Accessport for specific platforms such as Subaru, Ford EcoBoost and Honda. Flashing gives the largest gains. The trade-offs: the stored software is rewritten, some engine computers must be unlocked first, and a dealer scan can often see that the calibration was changed even after you flash back.
Plug-in tuners. Monte plugs into the OBD-II port and carries a calibration for your exact engine: it adjusts fuel delivery and ignition timing, and boost on turbo engines. It does not rewrite the engine computer’s stored software. Unplug it and the car is back to stock; the device can be reprogrammed for your next car. The gains are moderate, not the largest on the market — and they are measured.
What Monte measured
Before and after Monte, on a chassis dyno, with the source of each result:
| Car | Engine | Gain | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 Raptor | 3.5 EcoBoost | +21 hp, +31 lb-ft | Lab test, SEMA Garage, Diamond Bar, CA |
| Mercedes C300 | 2.0 turbo | +25.1 hp, +72.2 lb-ft | Dyno on video |
| Nissan 370Z | 3.7 V6 | +22.3 hp, +16.8 lb-ft | Dynocom customer dyno report |
| Abarth 595 | 1.4 T-Jet | +20.6 hp, +13.7 lb-ft | Dyno on video |
| Mazda MX-5 | 2.0 | +16.6 hp, +17.1 lb-ft | Dynocom customer dyno report |
Turbo engines gain the most, because a calibration can raise boost. A naturally aspirated engine gains from fuelling and ignition timing alone, so less.
Best performance chips for trucks
For pickups and diesels, handheld flash tuners have the longest track record, and a custom flash gives the biggest numbers — useful if you tow at the limit or plan hardware upgrades. If you want a gain you can remove before a dealer visit or a sale, a plug-in tuner is the other option. Monte covers the F-150, Ram 1500, Silverado, Super Duty, Tundra and Tacoma, and the Duramax, Power Stroke, Cummins and EcoDiesel engines: check your truck.
Best performance chips for cars
For enthusiast platforms — WRX, Mustang, GTI — a flash tuner built for that car is the usual route to big numbers. For an everyday car such as a Camry, Accord or Civic, few flash tuners exist, and most “chips” sold for them are resistor boxes. That is where a plug-in calibration for the exact engine makes the most sense. Check your car →
Do tuners void your warranty?
Not automatically. In the US, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act means a manufacturer can’t void your whole warranty just because you installed an aftermarket part; to deny a claim, it has to show that the part caused the failure. In practice, a flash tune is easy to detect — many engine computers record that they were reprogrammed — and a failed engine or transmission with a changed calibration is exactly the claim a dealer will question.
Monte does not rewrite the stored software, and unplugging it returns the car to stock. Dealer policies vary: removing the device before service is the standard, conservative practice, and we can’t promise how an individual dealer will react.
How to choose
- Is it written for your engine? One box for every car is a red flag.
- Is there a dyno result, with the source named?
- Are the numbers believable? Up to about 20% on a turbo engine is plausible; “35% on any car” is not.
- How do you go back to stock, and what stays recorded?
- What happens when you sell the car? A flash stays with the car; a plug-in tuner comes with you.
FAQ
What is the best performance chip?
One that changes the engine calibration for your specific engine and can show a before-and-after dyno result. Resistor-type chips and throttle controllers don’t add power at full throttle.
What is the best performance chip for trucks?
For the biggest gains, a handheld flash tuner or a custom flash. For a gain you can remove in a minute, a plug-in tuner such as Monte, which covers F-150, Ram, Silverado, Super Duty and the main diesel engines.
Will a tuner void my warranty?
In the US a manufacturer can’t void the whole warranty just for an aftermarket part; it has to show the part caused the failure. Flash tunes are often detectable. Monte doesn’t rewrite the stored software and unplugs back to stock, but dealer policies vary.
Is Monte a flash tuner?
No. It is a plug-in tuner: it adjusts fuelling and ignition timing (and boost on turbo engines) without rewriting the engine computer’s stored software.